My i7-6700 and MSI Z270 combo won't start up the XMP setting.
My i7-6700 and MSI Z270 combo won't start up the XMP setting.
Good afternoon everyone. I just bought an i7-6700 and a MSI Z270 Gaming M5. I updated the BIOS, ran a POST test, and installed all needed parts. Then I got some Corsair Vengeance LPX 2 sticks of 8GB each running at 3600 speed. My memory is actually rated for 2133 base, so it works fine in the BIOS without any special stuff. But when I turn on XMP profiles, the computer doesn't start up. It stays stuck showing just a board code B2. Same problem happens with my Ballistix 2 sticks of 16GB at 3200 speed and my G.Skill Aegis 2 sticks of 8GB at 3000 speed too. Does Intel really stop allowing XMP profiles on non-K chips anymore? TIA
XMP settings work okay on non-K chips when you use Z series boards. To me, this feels like there is something wrong with the memory pipe OR if your sticks are in the wrong slots. First, try putting the RAM in slots two and four next to your CPU, where slot four is right at the edge of the board. Those spots are called A2 and B2. If you don't do that, move them there. But if you already have them put in the right places, then the issue might be from bent pins on the motherboard or a bad CPU. Sure, it happens when things break BUT you can still run the memory at its default speed even if something is broken
It works fine with regular memory on Z series boards. It sounds like something is broken in the pipe OR you put the sticks in the wrong slots. First, make sure the memory is installed in slot A2 and B2, which are closest to the CPU. If not, move them there. If they are already there, the problem might be a bent pin on the board or a bad CPU. Yes, bad hardware happens sometimes but you can usually run at basic speed instead of fast XMP settings OR dual channel mode. If you have A2 and B2 slots set up, just try swapping to A1 and B1 slots. They probably won't work that way but it's worth trying occasionally. Sometimes it does work! Rarely though. If none of that works AND there are no bent pins (please check carefully because if I told you "no" before and actually found them, your eyes might hurt!), AND there is no dust or debris in the slots AND if the standoffs don't line up perfectly with holes on the board, THEN: make sure sticks are in right places, then try a hard reset of the BIOS. Power off the unit, cut power to the PSU, and unplug it from the wall. Remove the CMOS battery for 5 minutes. Sometimes you need to take the graphics card out too. Press the case button continuously for 30 seconds while that happens. After 5 minutes, put the CMOS battery back in correctly with the right side up. If you took the graphics card out, you can put it back but reconnect power and display cables too. Plug the PSU back in, turn on the unit, and let it POST. Enter BIOS settings to choose between Windows or legacy boot modes. Save everything and exit. If the system works now, go ahead and configure anything else like memory speeds, fan profiles, or other custom options you wanted before. Sometimes after a reset, you need to load default values from the start so the hardware tables reset in the boot manager. You might also want to try a different monitor if video isn't showing up properly; sometimes HDMI works better than DisplayPort. Just try it if you can't see anything or don't know how to enter BIOS. It happens all the time.
I will check any bent pins or bits of trash inside the socket/DIMM slots. The modules are in A1 and B1 right now, and I checked that part too. I'll tell you what happens next if something comes up like that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
No, that's not right. That is actually exactly wrong. Maybe that's why they can't run at the XMP profile. As I said, they should be in slots A2 and B2, which are two spots away from the CPU. They shouldn't be in slots A1 and B1, which are three spots over from the CPU. Most modern boards won't work properly with XMP or dual channel mode if the main memory is in those first and third positions instead of the second and fourth ones. This rule applies to all dual-channel consumer motherboards made recently, about twelve years now. For the most part, it applies everywhere except a few very old low-density DDR3 boards, and all the new DDR4 dual-channel models.